New Toolkit Helps Governments Prioritize Appliance Efficiency in Revised Climate Commitments
Washington, DC, 10 September 2024 – International nonprofit CLASP has launched a user-friendly toolkit to help over 160 countries slash emissions by incorporating appliance efficiency targets in their climate action plans. From Albania to Zimbabwe, the Net Zero Appliances NDC Toolkit lays out a clear pathway for including appliance efficiency—a proven, cost-effective means of reducing emissions and improving lives—in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Appliances account for nearly 40% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Making them more efficient could dramatically reduce emissions, but governments frequently overlook this critical climate solution.
Over 150 country-specific recommendations for policymakers
The toolkit was launched to support policymakers by providing appliance efficiency guidance specific to each nation, example NDC language, and other helpful resources.
The timing is critical, as the 195 countries who are signatories to the Paris Climate Agreement are currently preparing to revise their time-bound national climate commitments under the agreement. These updated NDCs must be submitted in 2025 and will not be revised again until 2030.
For many countries, these NDCs drive broader national climate agendas. To date, only 47% of NDCs mention appliances, while only 25% specify the policies needed to reduce appliances’ contribution to climate change.
A critical moment for a net-zero future
In this NDC revision, governments must action the agreement made at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to double global energy efficiency by 2030. Through this commitment, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognized energy efficiency’s pivotal role in hitting net-zero emissions by 2050.
CLASP’s research shows that appliance efficiency targets are key to achieving net zero goals and preventing 9.2 gigatons of CO2 emissions in 2050 relative to a business-as-usual scenario.
“National appliance efficiency policies that meet critical net-zero targets need to be rolled out immediately to curb the catastrophic climate warming we are all experiencing,” said Christine Egan, CLASP’s chief executive officer. “This NDC revision is one of the last opportunities to reduce emissions and secure a sustainable future—humanity cannot afford to fall short.”
CLASP’s toolkit contains recommendations and resources to help governments assess, design, and draft net-zero–aligned targets for appliances and equipment. One of these resources, a set of 163 country fact sheets, provides detailed information about the specific climate, energy, social, and financial benefits of appliance efficiency policies in individual nations.
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For more information about “Net Zero Appliances NDC Toolkit“ please contact: ndcs@clasp.ngo
For media inquires:
Alexia Ross
aross[at]clasp.ngo
+1 (339) 222-4311
About CLASP:
CLASP is the leading global authority on efficient appliances’ role in fighting climate change and improving people’s lives. With 25 years of expertise and offices on four continents, CLASP collaborates with policymakers, industry leaders, and other experts to deliver clear pathways to a more sustainable world for people and the planet.
Net Zero Appliances NDC Toolkit
Benefits of Net-Zero Appliances
Efficient appliances, lighting, and equipment are vital climate solutions. Appliance efficiency offers a proven, cost-effective means of reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, improving climate resilience, and promoting sustainable development.
Efficient appliances deliver a broad range of benefits aligned with the needs and priorities of many countries. Meeting ambitious energy efficiency targets for ten common appliances—air conditioners, fans, e-cookers, electric motors, televisions, refrigerators, lighting, solar irrigation, space heating equipment, and water heating equipment—would yield significant results:
- 9.2 gigatons of CO2 emissions avoided globally in 2050—equal to the combined greenhouse gas emissions of the United States, India, Indonesia, and Japan in 2022
- $1.5 trillion USD in utility bill savings globally in 2050—more than half of Africa’s GDP in 2024
- reduced demand for fossil fuels, making it easier to transition to renewable energy
- reduced demand for new power generation capacity, freeing up resources for investment in other development priorities such as education and health
- less strain on electric grids due to reduced electricity demand—and thus easier integration of renewable energy resources and reduced risk of blackouts and brownouts
- reduced air pollution and a cleaner environment from lower demand for fossil fuels
- better human health, improved food security, and increased productivity since reduced operating costs can make appliances accessible to more people
- expanded access to refrigeration and air conditioning, which are critical energy services in a warming world
Download country fact sheets for summaries of the projected benefits that increased appliance efficiency could deliver in specific countries.
Why appliances? Appliances and equipment make up nearly 40% of all energy-related CO2 emissions, yet most countries don‘t mention them in their NDCs.
At COP28, as part of the outcome of the first global stocktake (GST), parties to the Paris Climate Agreement agreed to “doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.” This part of the UAE Consensus was championed earlier in the 2023 Versailles Statement and in the COP28 Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge.
Appliances are responsible for nearly 40% of energy-related emissions globally. Thus, governments should prioritize appliances to achieve the efficiency-doubling goal. Appliance efficiency can deliver the necessary CO2 emissions reductions to keep climate commitments on track. Efficiency policies have a long track record of success and can show results within the next decade.
Appliance efficiency should be a key part of every country’s NDC, yet less than half of NDCs (1.0 and 2.0) mention appliances. The remainder of this toolkit summarizes how appliances have been featured in existing NDCs and explains how to include appliance efficiency in future commitments.
Now is the time for countries to turn global commitments into national action by doubling down on appliance efficiency.
Net Zero Appliances NDC Tracker
Many countries are already integrating appliances into their NDCs. CLASP’s Net Zero Appliances NDC Tracker enables you to explore which countries mention appliances, appliance efficiency, and supporting policies in their NDC. To view individual country data and our methodology, click the “Download data” button on the tracker below.
This interactive feature is not optimized for mobile devices. For the best experience, we recommend viewing it on a desktop.
Appliances in NDCs 3.0
The examples below were selected to show the variety of ways appliances have been included in the most recent NDCs (NDCs 3.0). They are intended to showcase the range of NDCs rather than highlight exceptional targets or model what an exemplary NDC should look like. This list is not exhaustive. To see a full list of countries mentioning appliances in NDCs, view CLASP’s Net Zero Appliances NDC Tracker above.
Cambodia’s NDC 3.0 outlines a plan to adopt standards and labeling requirements for five household appliances: air conditioners, refrigerators, fans, LED lighting, and rice cookers. These measures are expected to avoid 3.3 Mt CO₂ equivalent by 2035. The NDC also promotes clean cooking, aiming for 30% use of efficient stoves (i.e., improved biomass, biogas, LPG, and electric induction cooking equipment) by 2030 and 60% by 2035, and targets the 73% of rural households still reliant on traditional wood and charcoal stoves. These efforts are expected to avoid 2.1 Mt CO₂ equivalent. In the industrial sector, Cambodia plans to introduce mandatory minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for equipment such as air compressors, transformers, and boilers to improve manufacturing efficiency, avoiding an additional 6.7 Mt CO₂ equivalent by 2035.
In its third NDC, Nigeria aims to have 100% of households using efficient lighting with a complete phaseout of incandescent bulbs. It also aims to reduce emissions from refrigeration and air conditioning by achieving the targets in its National Cooling Action Plan, introducing low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, and promoting the recovery of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from old equipment. Together these actions are estimated to avoid 14.4 Mt CO2 equivalent by 2035.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) has set an ambitious target of a 79% reduction in building sector emissions by 2035. Decarbonization will be achieved by revising building codes for efficiency, rolling out building energy labels, and ramping up retrofitting rates. Efficient cooling solutions will play an integral role. UAE’s NDC also highlights the opportunity to explore the use of low-GWP refrigerants and outlines plans to expand its appliance efficiency programs by annually updating standards for existing appliances, like ACs, and introducing new standards for other appliances.
Recommendations for Drafting NDCs
Parties to the Paris Agreement are encouraged to double the rate of efficiency improvement globally and to strengthen the 2035 targets in their nationally determined contributions. The recommendations below contain actionable steps that governments can take to integrate appliance energy efficiency into their revised NDCs.
Before drafting:
Identify the ministries responsible for appliance energy efficiency, which may include those in charge of:
- energy
- industry
- housing/buildings
- trade
- environment
Review the current NDC and note the following:
- mentions of appliances and equipment (e.g., lighting, air conditioners, and industrial electric motors) and supporting policies (e.g., energy performance standards, labeling requirements, market transformation programs, and incentives)
- specific targets or goals for appliances or appliance energy efficiency
- synergies with stated climate resilience, adaptation, and sustainable development priorities such as clean energy, cooling access, job creation, and economic development
Consult the ministries responsible for appliance energy efficiency to:
- Understand the appliance sector, including current and projected ownership levels and energy use.
- Take note of current and future appliance energy efficiency priorities and how they relate to national climate change, economic growth, and development goals.
- Assess how appliance efficiency contributes to current NDC and national energy efficiency targets and greenhouse gas accounting mechanisms.
- Model energy-saving and greenhouse gas mitigation opportunities in the appliances sector.
While drafting:
Acknowledge that increasing the efficiency of appliances and equipment is critical for meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and other near-term climate commitments. Consider including the following points:
- Energy efficiency policies can double or triple the rate of appliance efficiency improvement, making them key to meeting the doubling target in the UAE Consensus and Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge.
- Meeting targets for the ten appliances most critical to meeting net zero globally—fans, air conditioners, electric cooking appliances, electric motors, lighting, televisions, refrigerators, solar irrigation, space heating equipment, and water heating equipment—could mitigate 9.2 gigatons of CO2 in 2050 alone.
Ten priority appliances: Fans, ACs, e-cookers, electric motors, lighting, TVs, refrigerators, solar irrigation, space heaters, and water heaters
Highlight the cost-effectiveness and cross-cutting benefits of appliance energy efficiency investments.
- Affordability: Longstanding appliance efficiency policies are cost effective, with financial benefits four times greater than the costs.
- Resilience and adaptation benefits: Increased efficiency can expand access to cooling, information, and income-generating activities by reducing the total cost of appliance ownership and making appliances more affordable.
- Connections to UN Sustainable Development Goals: Appliances and equipment are critical to reaching 12 of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Equity benefits: First-time appliance ownership can expand energy access, thereby raising productivity, incomes, and health outcomes for marginalized groups like women, children, and poor and rural households.
Identify priority appliances and equipment in order to define clear efficiency improvement targets.
- When determining which appliances to prioritize, consider products with high mitigation potential. See CLASP’s country fact sheets to learn which appliances could reduce the most emissions in different nations.
- When selecting targets, consider aligning them with existing pledges such as the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge and the SEAD Product Efficiency Call to Action or existing appliance efficiency targets like those in CLASP’s Net Zero Heroes report.
Discuss the policies, financing, and/or reporting requirements needed to meet appliance efficiency targets, including:
- appliance efficiency policies such as energy performance standards, labeling requirements, financial incentives, and bulk procurement. See Net Zero Heroes for a summary of policies
- information about how policies and programs will be funded or how much funding is needed
- monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) mechanisms to track progress. IEA’s Evaluation Guidebook explains how to evaluate the impact of appliance efficiency policies
Model NDC Language
CLASP has prepared sample language to show how governments could revise their NDCs following the recommendations above.
Below are two illustrative examples designed for hypothetical countries. Governments are welcome to borrow applicable language when drafting their NDC.
Country A
- Population: 87 million people
- Emissions: 18 megatons CO2
- Per capita emissions: 0.21 tons CO2
- GDP: 98 billion USD in 2023
- Per capita GDP: 1,126 USD
- Per capita electricity consumption: 110 kWh
- Energy demand growth: 12% per year until 2030
- Household electricity access: 53%
- Household clean cooking access: 38%
- Household appliance access: Refrigerator—36%, TV—47%, AC—10%
- Needs: Expand energy access, leapfrog to clean electric appliances, increase resilience in vulnerable communities, and constrain future emissions growth
Example NDC Language
“Appliance energy efficiency will play a critical role in delivering Country A’s climate change mitigation, climate resilience, and sustainable development agenda over the next ten years. Efficiency policies are a cost-effective climate mitigation solution that has been shown to double or triple the rate of efficiency improvement in new appliances and equipment over time. More efficient appliances can also be catalysts for expanded energy access and sustainable development and can play an important role in building climate resilience. In communities with no or limited access to the electric grid, efficient appliances enable households to maximize the use of distributed energy resources. Solar-powered equipment like solar water pumps can also be used to enhance drought resilience by enabling smallholder farmers to access groundwater supply more efficiently and boost farmer productivity and incomes, allowing them to be more financially resilient. In grid-connected areas, efficiency can lower the cost of ownership, making critical appliances like air conditioners accessible to more people.
Appliances and equipment energy consumption in the buildings and industrial sectors represented 11% of all CO2 emissions in Country A in 2023. Their impact is expected to increase as Country A’s economy develops and more households gain access to electricity. By prioritizing appliance energy efficiency, Country A can curb appliance-related emissions while expanding access to the products needed to improve resilience among the most vulnerable communities.
Between 2025 and 2035, Country A aims to double the efficiency of new air conditioners, refrigerators, and lighting through appliance efficiency policies (i.e., energy performance standards and labeling policies). Achieving these targets would avoid 0.85 megatons of CO2 in 2035 and 1.36 megatons of CO2 in 2050. Conditional upon available financing, Country A may develop incentives to lower the first cost of appliances, making them more affordable to a greater share of the population. Country A also plans to expand access to energy-efficient appliances in communities with no or limited access to the electric grid by providing 500 million USD in consumer financing and 100 million USD to expand local jobs in the solar irrigation sector, conditional upon available financing.”
Country B
- Population: 50 million people
- Emissions: 250 megatons CO2
- Per capita emissions: 5.0 tons CO2
- GDP: 1.3 trillion USD
- Per capita GDP: 26,000 USD
- Per capita electricity consumption: 4,750 kWh
- Energy demand growth: 2.8% per year until 2030
- Household electricity access: 100%
- Household clean cooking access: 100%
- Household appliance access: Refrigerator—98%, TV—99%, AC—75%
- Needs: Lower emissions, decarbonize key sectors, retire inefficient appliances, and increase resilience in vulnerable communities
Example NDC Language
“Country B intends to significantly improve the energy efficiency of new appliances and equipment by 2035. This goal aligns with the UAE Consensus and the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, which target a collective global doubling of the rate of energy efficiency improvement. Appliance energy efficiency policies (i.e., energy performance standards and labeling policies) have been shown to improve the average rate of energy efficiency improvement by two to three times while making appliances more affordable and less costly to operate. Improved affordability can make critical cooling appliances like fans and air conditioners more accessible to a greater share of the population, improving climate resilience.
Country B will update and expand appliance energy efficiency policies (i.e., minimum energy performance standards and labeling requirements) for high-energy consuming products—starting with lighting, space cooling equipment, and industrial electric motor-driven systems—and expand government-backed procurement and incentives to accelerate the uptake of more energy-efficient heat pumps and industrial electric motors. Country B aims to phase out all fluorescent lighting by 2027, double the efficiency of new air conditioners by 2030, and set new minimum efficiency requirements of new industrial electric motors at efficiency class IE3 or above. Country B will develop a net-zero roadmap for the appliances sector to identify important milestones and establish systems for tracking progress.”
Why appliances? Improving appliance efficiency would help meet 12 of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Country Fact Sheets
Explore the climate, energy, and economic benefits of net-zero appliances at the national level.
Each fact sheet contains estimates of the climate, energy, and economic benefits of appliance efficiency in that country based on CLASP’s Net Zero Hero policy scenario presented in our 2023 Net Zero Heroes report.
Factsheets for Burundi, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia now include benefits from widespread adoption of e-cooking appliances provided by CLASP partner, Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS). The methodology for these estimates may be viewed here.
Governments can use these fact sheets to promote the inclusion of net zero appliance targets in NDCs. Click on a country name in the table below to download the fact sheet (PDF) for that country.
Additional Resources
The following resources provide in-depth information to guide policymakers in developing NDCs.
NDCs
- NDC Energy Commitments Tracker E3G tool that monitors how countries’ NDCs align with COP28 energy goals.
- Climate Watch NDC Tracker WRI tool that tracks, compares, and analyzes NDC pledges and progress.
- NDC 3.0 Navigator NDC Partnership tool showing how countries can strengthen NDCs submitted in 2025.
- WWF Checklist for the NDCs We Want The World Wide Fund for Nature’s checklist of the 24 criteria it will use to rate NDCs 3.0.
- Credible Contributions: Bolder Plans for Higher Climate Ambition in the Next Round of NDCs Energy Transitions Commission insights briefing showing how industry and government collaboration can raise ambition in NDCs.
- Appliance Efficiency in NDCs: Tracking Changes in Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Climate Agreement CLASP report discussing appliances in existing NDCs.
- Appliance Efficiency Finally Recognized in National Climate Commitments CLASP blog post tracking appliances in NDCs 3.0 submitted by April 2025.
Appliances & Energy Efficiency
- Net Zero Heroes: Scaling Efficient Appliances for Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience CLASP report defining near-term efficiency targets for ten key appliances and the actions needed to achieve them.
- Net Zero Appliances Case Studies Case studies offering examples of appliance energy efficiency policies and programs in action.
- Getting Appliances Back on Track: Assessing Progress Towards Global Energy Efficiency Commitments CLASP report on progress toward doubling the efficiency of air conditioners, electric motors, lighting, and refrigerators.
- Doubling Energy Efficiency with Appliances: CLASP report showing how appliance efficiency is critical to meeting the efficiency doubling goal by 2030.
- Mission Efficiency A global coalition of governments, organizations, and initiatives driving progress on energy efficiency. Read the Mission Efficiency Energy Efficiency Playbook of Key Actions and submit a Mission Efficiency Pledge to share how you intend to achieve the efficiency targets included in your NDC 3.0.
- Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit 2025 IEA toolkit showing how policy packages can combine regulations, information, and incentives to achieve the global target of doubling the pace of energy efficiency progress by 2030.
- IEA Appliance Energy Efficiency Policy Training Course A comprehensive 25-hour, 7-module course on the fundamentals of designing and implementing energy efficiency policy packages.
Tools
- Mepsy: The Appliance & Equipment Climate Impact Calculator CLASP tool for understanding the climate and energy impacts of appliance policies in 162 countries.
- CLASP Policy Resource Center Database containing over 1,500 examples of appliance policies from more than 130 countries.
- World’s Best MEPS: Tracking Leaders in Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards CLASP webpage showing the world’s most stringent energy performance standards for lighting, electric motors, air conditioners, refrigerators, water heaters, and space heating equipment.